Thompson criticises Buzz! for schools Related content
- Interview Buzz!: The Schools Quiz [15]
- News Sony sued over Buzz! trademark [30]
- News Thompson accuses British newspapers of fabricating Buzz quotes [39]
Advertisement
Thompson criticises Buzz! for schools News
PlayStation 2 News by Robert Purchese
US attorney Jack Thompson has criticised Buzz! The Schools Quiz, claiming teachers should concentrate on traditional teaching methods instead.
His comments were aired in British newspapers The Telegraph and The Daily Mail, both of which questioned Sony's motives in selling the PS2 title to schools, presumably in much the same way an impartial observer would question the newspapers' decision to make a non-existent row the focus of their stories.
"Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped," claimed Jack Thompson, who hasn't actually been rude to us lately. "I don't see how they can be of any more benefit than normal teaching."
Educational psychologist Jane Healy agreed: "If you watch kids on a computer, most of them are just hitting keys or moving the mouse as fast as they can. It reminds me of rats running in a maze," she said, demonstrating an impressive understanding of how Buzz works.
Buzz! The Schools Quiz features around 5000 questions based on the Key Stage 2 Curriculum and is available in both shops and schools.
It's a self-funded project by Buzz! developer Relentless, and has proved both successful and popular in schools around the country - as we heard in an interview last Friday.
Sounds all right to us. But what about you at the back there with your hand up and your snotty nose, what do you think?
Advertisement
Are you excited about Buzz! The Schools Quiz on PlayStation 2?
View Eurogamer readers most anticipated games
Thanks!
Related Games
Buzz! The Schools Quiz
Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!
Poster
|
Trendyninja
14/01/08 @ 14:45
0
God I wish this guy would just STFU!
You know, if anything makes me feel like getting violent and agressive it's this prat! |
|
gamingdave
14/01/08 @ 14:45
0
"Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped"
What a ridiculously sweeping statement, I'm assuming with no grounding in fact at all. |
|
0
Educational psychologist Jane Healy agreed: "If you watch kids on a computer, most of them are just hitting keys or moving the mouse as fast as they can. It reminds me of rats running in a maze."
so they didn't ask her about a quiz that you have to get the right answers at all - just what she thought of Computer Games in general - that and she hasn't obviously got a clue about games as she hasn't even looked into the psycology of games and the reward structure that is actually very similar to natural learning as opposed to the school system. Yes games can be just rats in a maze, but even the rats learn Jane... More quality journalism that has no bias at all |
|
0
*wipes nose*
Usual attention seeking nonsense. Bit more sedate by Jack's usual standards though. I expected him to be claiming that the kids bludgeon each other with the controllers for getting a question wrong. I can't totally put down the educational psychologist's theory though. I've seen kids play that way. But I reckon it depends on the age range and how its used. Pretty much like every other teaching tool & method then (no matter how traditional, Jack!). |
|
optimusprym8
14/01/08 @ 14:57
0
I don't think anyone expects Buzz 4 Schools to replace traditional teaching methods, merely complement it. I for one fully support the move, anything to engage brains when textbooks can be incredibly dull and dry
|
|
0
I like the way the article on the Daily Mail site is complimented by other news such as "Tennis star's plunging neckline leaves little to the imagination".
|
|
0
@bioreit
It took a while to track down but a group of us managed to come up with some decent text for Wikipedia The numbers are the references to the original docs on wiki (ignore them - unless you like reading legal documents, I don't recommend them) "On 20 April 2007, both parties reached a settlement[45] and agreed to drop their respective lawsuits. Under the terms of the settlement Thompson is barred from suing to block the sale or distribution of any future games published by Take-Two or any of its subsidiaries. He will be restricted to communicating through Take-Two's attorneys on any future matters. Thompson will still be able to maintain his outspoken stance against the publisher's titles, as well as still being allowed to act as counsel in lawsuits brought against Take-Two by other parties. For their part, Take-Two agreed to drop its contempt of court lawsuit against Thompson regarding alleged improper conduct during the Bully court hearings in Florida,[46][47] which, if found to be in contempt, would have resulted in Thompson seeing jail time.[48][49][50]"
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 14/01/08 @ 15:02
|
|
0
Berie: ""Tennis star's plunging neckline leaves little to the imagination". "
Links? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/ar... (WITH PIC YUM!!!!)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 14/01/08 @ 15:07
|
|
0
Great... so an ill conceived assumption (probably based on very little research as Jack Thompson must now be infamous for) backed up by someone who probably shouldn't have a job in the field she is in. As usual... it's the loudest people who make the news.
Surely Buzz the Schools QUIZ is meant as a Teaching aid and not a replacement programme. If that is true then it's no different from having a text book of questions and answers, only it's easier and much more interesting to hear the information and be rewarded for it than read the information and the benefits be not so obvious to them. Granted that's not going to help reading and writing skills but obviously at the key stage the game is intended for kids will already be well on their way to conversational fluency in their native language. Seriously, someone slap Jack Thompson. He doesn't deserve his title either because he's too stupid and lazy to research the facts correctly before making comments/lawsuits or he's twisting facts to meet his needs in order to take down the games industry. I wonder if he was ever attacked by a Nintendo. |
|
0
Ta X201, but I was referring to the more recent news that he was on trial for ethics and professional conduct, or lack thereof. I succumbed and opened up GamePolitics and found the inital page
http://gamepolitics.com/2007/11/26/jack-... but was wondering if anyone knew of any updates? |
|
0
Hello everyone. I've updated Bertie's story a bit because I don't think he was mean enough. This sort of nonsense from the Telegraph and Daily Mail makes me want to hit people. Which reminds me.
|
|
The_Aardvark
14/01/08 @ 15:21
0
Excellent edits Tom. I see you're luxuriating in your newfound power.
|
|
0
@ Mugwum
Ta Tom. The more Mail-bashing, the better. And The Sun! That link and other stories make me want to execute Plan #213 more and more: To raise venture capital funds that will alow me to purchase the Daily Mail Group. Then slowly turn it into the bastion of liberal-minded, sensible, intelligent-yet-humourous news. Seeing as Daily Mail readers seem to take what their beloved paper says on faith, it should improve the general outlook of the population somewhat. Edit 1: Grovelling obsequiousness: Congrats Tom - long may you reign, in Irony and Sarcasm!
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 14/01/08 @ 15:23
|
|
gingerlink
14/01/08 @ 15:23
0
@ Saladin
WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION, WE DON'T NEED NO THOUGHT CONTROL NO DARK SARCASM IN THE CLASSROOM HEY, THOMPSON, LEAVE US KIDS ALONE yes you do, you just used a double negative. |
|
Tiger_Walts
14/01/08 @ 15:52
0
"Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped"
If you replace 'videogames' with 'religion' that statement would be more truthful. It also works with 'ambulance chasers'.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 14/01/08 @ 15:52
|
|
kangarootoo
14/01/08 @ 16:04
0
The more well know JT becomes, the more people wise up to the fact that he is an insane man who just so happens to be an attorney.
I don't worry too much about him these days, as most professional journalists of quality know he isn't a reliable source of information. |
|
0
I can see this poor tossers brain working, picturing a future of GCSE's marked on sony playstations. Kids sitting their test hammering away at joypads silently obediant to their sony overlords!
A significant high score could land you a place at oxbridge, or if you're found smuggling in a game genie into the exam you could be working at macdonalds! WONT SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!??!?! jack its a new low picking on teachers.... |
|
stoopidgreg
14/01/08 @ 16:23
0
i personally think these "education simulators" should be banned. they're teaching people how to think which might lead to them being smarter. this is unacceptable.
|
|
JediMasterMalik
14/01/08 @ 16:33
0
I have to seriously question whether that educational psychologist even had a degree. Either that or her words were taking majorly out of context.
|
|
Muddtallica
14/01/08 @ 16:43
0
badgerc82 - you're dead right there. It's like the constant stereotypically negative image of a kid playing a videogame, staring apparently blank-eyed at the flickering screen. The Thompsons of this world would say the child has been zombified and rendered brain-dead by the game - I'd say it's because he's, y'know, concentrating. Like you would do when you watch a film. Or read a book. Or do anything that requires a significant amount of mental input. You'd hope a psychologist would be able to make intuitive leaps such as that...then again, this is a psychologist writing in the Daily Mail in support of Jack Thompson, so I'm guessing she's one of these that got their degree off the back of a cereal box.
|
|
0
BBC computers, man that takes me back...
Back on topic - the guys a moron. I'm sure his assumptions come from his PA collecting news paper clippings for him. "There's more negative press than good, where's my high horse and shit stirring spoon". One of my friends was suffering badly when a close relative died - right or wrong, video games were his only escape at that time. I think a version of Buzz based on the simpson's episode with the electric shock treatment would be better. Especially for the most troublesome kids. |
|
kangarootoo
14/01/08 @ 16:58
0
"I'm sure his assumptions come from his PA collecting news paper clippings for him."
I don't agree. I don't think JT is misformed by way of not having all the information available to him. I think he is actually a classic example of someone who is very good at collecting information about a subject, but who will then purposely manipulate, misrepresent and selectively reference said information to suit his ends.*** In other words, no one is giving him the wrong info. He is quite capable of manipulating the truth in support of his belief system (that video games are evil in all their forms) all by himself. :) *** As an attorney that is indeed what he has been trained to do. Modern court law is not about discovering the truth, it is about two sides with opposing agendas selectively presenting a case that supports each of their their respective aims. Its quite a sad principle when you think about it, but I suppose as humans we are incapable of true altruism and so what other court system could take its place :(
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 14/01/08 @ 17:01
|
|
Beardedmonkey
14/01/08 @ 17:12
0
"What a lot of FUCKING BULLSHIT. I've 32 and I remember several educational games that we played on the BBC Master system at school, such as Granny's Garden. "
Damn straight! If I ever need to feed different coloured dragons their favourite foods it'll be a doddle! Games made me what I am today (not sure which side of the argument that statement actually helps..). "Videogames have hurt far more people than they have helped" That's just a ridiculous statement, but we've come to expect it from JT. Its starting to whiff of desperate attention-seeking these days. Like Kerry Katona, but stupider. |
|
0
The holy trinity of Thompson, Daily Mail and The Telegraph united at last! It was only a matter of time I say.
As for Mr Thompson, take a look at what Sarcastic Gamer did: Sarcastic Gamer Hey Mr Thompson
Edited 3 times,
most recently on 14/01/08 @ 17:39
|
Want to comment on this article? Log in, or register!
